Born of Magi, one of three wise men, His distant rumblings now the hopeful hear, A king to save poor Christendom again; From heathen troops without, from death and fear Is God’s own mercy surely drawing near. Whence comes our rescue scholars do not know, From Africa, along the trade-routes here, Or somewhere east where [...]
It is Dashain, the biggest, longest and most auspicious holiday in Nepal, so my young friend and neighbor is already growing edgy. Call him Krishna, his father is Nepal’s dean of civil engineers and his mother is a devout Hindu and a nationally respected short-story writer, so his creativity comes naturally. He was educated at [...]
The deadliest tree I know lives in the middle of a cornfield, ten feet below a hairpin turn on a road between the southern Michigan towns of Jonesville and Hillsdale. Every few years since the dawn of motoring it has claimed several lives, usually drunken students. One wonders why, since the field is enormous and [...]
Legend recalls lyricist Ira Gershwin turning up at work looking miserable and recounting to his brother, the composer George, a recurring nightmare in which Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and other classical greats “all came back to life…but with good lawyers!” Were Richard Crossman not dead, he might get rich suing for rights to his much-borrowed book [...]
As Germany uncovers even more American spies in its midst, its intelligence experts consider protecting themselves from digital snooping by reverting to manual typewriters. Is this a triumph of the old over the new? Will this bung a wrench into the optimism of our pimple-faced teenage technophiles? Will they stop swooning over every semi-useless electronic [...]
A British comedian quotes his German girlfriend complaining that one can’t get good bagels in Berlin; he pauses for effect and then asks: “Well, whose fault is that?” We might repeat the question after reading Mr. Joseph Pearce’s recent essay on The Imaginative Conservative, sounding the alarm on the Muslim Peril. The mere “presence” of [...]
As any old newspaperman can tell you, crafting headlines is a rare skill quite distinct from ordinary good writing. A New York Post example, “Headless Body in Topless Bar,” is a work of art. Or when rural American audiences felt insulted by hillbilly comedy films, and Variety proclaimed: “Stix Nix Hix Flix.” Or a long-forgotten [...]
Bring forth thine children one and all! Call out the old from attic rooms! Down tools! Hang aprons in the hall! Fetch all not resting in their tombs! Don what finery thou might wear! Abandon, ye, thy work or play! Bear toothsome treats for all to share! A witch is doomed to burn today! Come [...]
Kathmandu – From Nepal’s Yeti-infested Himalayan peaks to her lowland, tiger-ridden jungles, two thousand people embracing trees do not seem a lot. More Nepalis are on motor bikes between my home and the airport. Yet the tree-huggers outnumber their older, decrepit countrymen selling hashish in the tourist quarter of Thamel, and vastly surpass under-attended rallies [...]
To a Clever Atheist It happened all by chance you said, I’ve read your tired libretto: As if the soup-stain on your shirt Looked like a Canaletto! Books on the people and topics discussed in this essay may be found in The Imaginative Conservative Bookstore. Essays by Stephen Masty may be found here. [...]
We tend to look back at great talent and forget the ambition and business acumen that let artistry shine through the ages. Nobody should ignore George Frideric Handel’s (1685-1759) eye for the main chance. The young German kapelmeister was already on leave-of-absence in England when his boss Prince George, the Elector of Hanover, became King George [...]
Lee Kuan Yew Imagine a modern free country in which aspiring politicians, before the most prominent political party lets them run for office as its nominees, must pass interviews and psychometric tests evaluating their knowledge and skill, commitment to public service, humility, honesty and morality. Will America’s Republicans or Democrats dare to try [...]
Does God jest, and does He enjoy the joke? Do the angels and saints hear chuckles booming through the firmament and know that He’s amused again? If so, what tickles His fancy? The issue is more complex than it appears, so as a reward I’ll share the best joke in the world. It could be [...]
Clocks and spirals and quotations in forgotten alphabets whirl through animated outer space until a door appears. The eerie old theme music fades to Russell Kirk’s voice: “You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension—a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving out [...]